BAFF founder DéLana R. Dameron started the fund last year with the goal of supporting small and mid-sized organizations focused on Black arts and culture. The group’s first round of grants is already receiving attention from the art world, and Dameron says she hopes that the fund will help not only artists but also provide a community for emerging philanthropists who want to be involved in common interests.

“I felt that my skills in fundraising and organizing could be a perfect match to begin the foundations for what could be an instrumental and force for funding Black arts—a significantly underfunded field, but one that contributes so much to the artistic and creative community at large,” she said.

ALLINBKLYN has been making annual grants to organizations in Brooklyn since 2014. Founded by Eliza Winans Rossman, the group of 60 women meets four times each year to learn about local nonprofits with the goal of supporting those who are strengthening the borough. Since its founding, the group has given nearly $1 million to 35 Brooklyn organizations.